Children's Home run by Enhanced Young Persons Care Limited in Middlesbrough

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC455864 1 SC455864

p.1

Registered provider: Enhanced Young Person’s Care Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for up to eight children who may have social and emotional difficulties. The home may provide care for children with mental health conditions, excluding learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There are five children currently living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since September 2022.

p.1

Inspection date: 3 January 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Inspection date: 3 January 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspectors evaluated:

p.1

Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC455864 2

p.1

Findings from the inspection

We identified no serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The home has been without a registered manager since September 2022. A manager has now been appointed, but has not yet submitted their application to register with Ofsted. The new manager has made some progress in addressing the shortfalls identified at the last full inspection.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The manager and staff promote the positive behaviour of the children. Incentives are used to encourage children to follow the routines and boundaries of the home. Staff apply consequences when children’s behaviour is not appropriate. These are restorative in nature and help children to understand how their actions impact on others. The manager has good oversight of the quality and timeliness of the recording of these consequences. This helps the manager to evaluate the effectiveness of consequences in supporting positive behaviour from the children.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Children are provided with the opportunity to attend a range of activities. The children’s views about what activities they would like to do are regularly sought through children’s meetings and discussions. Children feel that they are listened to by staff, who then act on their wishes.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The manager has effective systems in place to maintain oversight of the home. Leaders and managers complete audits of those systems to add an extra layer of oversight and identify any shortfalls in practice. The audits demonstrate that the manager is taking action to address areas for improvement. Children’s files contain all the required documentation.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The manager has made improvements to the home, with some areas being decorated and new carpets fitted. Photos of the children enjoying activities and their artwork are now displayed on the walls throughout the home. The manager has plans for future improvements to make the property feel more homely. This will have a positive impact on how children view their home.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Care plans are detailed and child friendly. The contain up-to-date and accurate information about the children’s needs and what staff should do to meet those needs. This means that the staff are working to plans that reflect the most-up-to- date information about the children.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Not all children are attending school or employment. For these children, there are no arrangements in place to continue their learning while alternative provisions are secured. The manager has not challenged education professionals to progress appropriate placements for the children. As a result, not all children are making progress with their learning. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC455864 3 Ofsted were not notified of a serious incident. The manager has followed the home’s own internal procedures to keep the child safe and investigate the incident in full. This shortfall prevents Ofsted from having adequate oversight of how children are protected.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

When children come to live in the home, the manager completes an assessment of their needs and the home’s ability to meet those needs. For one child, this was not completed correctly, and the information in the assessment was not accurate. This hindered the staff’s ability to provide effective care to this child.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

The manager has completed a review of the quality of care provided to children. However, the report does not consider feedback or the opinions of the children. This means that the children have not had the opportunity to contribute to plans for the improvement of care provided to them.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

The review of the location of the home lacks thorough consultation with relevant people and organisations. The manager has received one response, which does not give a thorough overview of all the circumstances. This means that the manager and staff may be missing key information to manage known risks effectively.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

The provider made some progress against the requirements and recommendation from the previous inspection. Those that were not met have been reissued.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/08/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC455864 4

p.3

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

p.4

Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

p.4

Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

p.4

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been reissued. 14 February 2024

p.4

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.4

Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

p.4

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and 14 February 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC455864 5 maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi))

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been reissued. 14 February 2024

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.5

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

p.5

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been reissued. 14 February 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC455864 6 The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been reissued. 14 February 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

p.6

Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been reissued. 14 February 2024

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission, and how staff should support the child on return to the home. The registered person should also ensure that staff provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return-home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 45, paragraph 9.28)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the independent person they appoint has the skills and understanding necessary to relate to children in a home’s care; assess all relevant information; and form an impartial judgement about the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC455864 7 quality of the home’s care by consulting with the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 65, paragraph 15.8) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC455864 8

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Enhanced Young Person’s Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Fox Street, Sunderland Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE10 OBD

p.8

Inspectors

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC455864 9 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9